


Simple

by kwonlegs



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, Hozi, M/M, Mentions of dead parents, Mutual Pining, Pining, Soonhoon - Freeform, Why Did I Write This?, a brief mention of joshua/seokmin/junhui, howo, i honestly had no idea, mentions of unsupportive parents, slice of life i guess?, was the title derived from jihoon's song hahahahahaha you're right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 07:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14744448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwonlegs/pseuds/kwonlegs
Summary: Typical. Mediocre. That’s how they met.





	1. Chapter 1

It was typical—how they became what they were.

First day of school, a certain pink-haired boy preferred to sit at the back and enjoy the peace of his life until a blond boy came dashing inside the classroom, rushing to the nearest vacant seat (not the only vacant seat in the lecture room, to be very honest) and not realizing that someone was beside him until said blond boy faced him and almost fell on his butt when he saw that there was, in fact, a living, breathing human being there beside him.

“H-Hello…” the blond greeted, although a little bit hesitant because he wasn’t sure if the person before him truly existed or not. He legit looked like a fucking fairy with the pink hair that almost matched the pinkness of his lips. Not to mention, he was wearing a pastel pink sweater that made him a hundred—no, make that a thousand times softer than a baby panda sneezing.

Damn it all, he was the most beautiful person Soonyoung had ever seen in his entire life and it was only the first day of class, talk about blessed!

The blond reached out his hand and beamed, eyes forming into crescents and cheeks cutely scrunching up.

“I’m Kwon Soonyoung.”

Pink-hair looked frozen and a little bit constipated, to be honest, but he still looked cute and despite looking a little grumpy and hostile what with his stoic facial expression, he took Soonyoung’s hand and smiled briefly.

“Lee Jihoon.”

Typical. Mediocre. That’s how they met. That's how they started.


	2. Chapter 2

They became the best of friends that their own mutual friends sometimes called them the inseparable duo. According to them: _one cannot be without the other._

Both Jihoon and Soonyoung loved to deny that fact and would sometimes come up with an excuse that it wasn’t what they were, that they just happened to be in the same place as the other without it actually being intentional… but they really weren't fooling anyone.

They were (coincidentally) assigned as roommates—which was quite a surprise for the both of them when they first found out, pointing at each other with mouths hanging open in shock as they stood in the middle of their dorm room.

  
They also took the same course. Soonyoung was the only one Jihoon was very close to and so he took whatever schedule Soonyoung took, which made the blond really happy because according to him: _“I like Jihoon so much I can’t imagine my life without him.”_

They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. They were just around each other all the time, legit together for twenty-four hours and because of that, knowing each other well was an inevitable thing.

Jihoon knew how Soonyoung snored like he was a contender for the Olympics and Soonyoung knew that Jihoon slept like a corpse in the morgue with his blanket thrown all over his body up to the top of his head.

(One thing Jihoon didn’t know though was Soonyoung would sometimes deliberately wake up in the middle of the night to poke him, hover his hand over his nose to check if he was still breathing and sometimes take a peek of the color of his cheeks and lips—if it was the same red he saw from the first day of class when he looked alive… and sometimes Soonyoung would watch Jihoon until he felt at ease, that yes, he still had a best friend ready to walk with him to class tomorrow).

Soonyoung knew Jihoon was grumpy when he didn’t get much sleep and had to wake up early the next morning for class or when his mom called him but not to check on how his son was doing but to berate him for going to school instead of helping them earn money back at home, so he would try his very best to keep his distance and give Jihoon the space that he needed when those things happened.

Jihoon knew Soonyoung would tiptoe around him when he was in a bad mood so he would also try his best to walk as close to him as possible on their way to their classroom and hope that Soonyoung would get his message; that _it’s okay, you can touch me, you can hold me. I need it now more than ever._

Jihoon knew Soonyoung couldn’t eat spicy food and he would make sure that he didn’t order one for takeout whenever he bought dinner home or warn him when he was about to put spicy sauce on his burger patty.

Soonyoung knew Jihoon slaved for hours to finish his homework and study so hard so he could make a better life for himself and his family, Soonyoung made sure that at these moments, he made Jihoon coffee or ramyeon (the only thing he could cook well) and accompany him as much as he could.

Jihoon knew Soonyoung just lost his mom recently and so when the bad dreams came, he made sure to be there to lull Soonyoung back to sleep—embracing his friend until his sobs turned into even breaths and his signature snores. The arm around Soonyoung’s chest chased all the remnants of the bad dreams and he'd wake up as if nothing had happened the night before.

Soonyoung knew Jihoon had an unsupportive family and so he’d make sure Jihoon felt all the love he could give and said all the praise that he deserved. Jihoon made everything better for him and so he hoped he could do the same for his friend, too.

They knew each other so much and loved each other just the same despite the flaws and the occasional fights. They were still the best of friends. Jihoon and Soonyoung knew that. Heck, everybody in their friend circle knew that and Jihoon would’ve loved for it to stay that way until Boo Seungkwan, Hansol’s boyfriend (a new one to the friend circle) asked an annoyingly innocent question that threw Jihoon off and everything that he stood for in the last three years:

“Jihoon-hyung, do you like Soonyoung-hyung?”

Jihoon used to believe slow motions in real life were never a thing, that it was just one of those things that happened in the movies so people could add more cheesiness to an already cheesy scene to please the 'romantic' people. Well, Jihoon was wrong and he now knew better.

His world felt like it stopped and everything suddenly became background noise. His friends were talking to him, teasing him maybe and Seungkwan was probably still waiting for an answer, but Jihoon’s eyes could only focus on one person and it made his stomach drop and his heart hammer inside his chest.

It was the man cheerfully chatting with his friends, wild gestures and all, the signature smile on his face that just seemed light up any room he walked in. It was the man he realized that he liked all these years but chose to ignore.

It was Kwon Soonyoung.


	3. Chapter 3

Jihoon thought that falling in love was complex, that there were criteria’s and standards that people should set in order to fall in love.

Tall dark and handsome. Intelligent, kind and loaded. Model-like, a face carved by the gods. Prominent, elegant, well-respected.

Turned out, he thought wrong. There was no such thing as that and he could prove it.

Kwon Soonyoung was not that tall. Sure, he had a few inches on Jihoon but he wasn’t that tall like Wonwoo's boyfriend. He was handsome, yes, but his face certainly wasn’t carved by the gods like how writers would describe a character in their book; he had imperfections—imperfections that Jihoon didn’t even notice but when he did, he found endearing and lovely.

He wasn’t loaded—the man sometimes worked non-stop and came home looking like shit and Jihoon would sometimes mentally scold whoever was in charge of making life unfair because Soonyoung certainly didn’t deserve any of it but then it didn't change the way he looked at Soonyoung. He still liked him for the way he was. The happy, cheerful man that would bawl his eyes out because he was hungry as fuck but would then proceed to laugh because he knew that was how life worked for people like him, so he’d rather not spend his time moping and complaining.

_“After all, I have you, Jihoon.”_

_“We have each other, you idiot.”_

He was happy because Soonyoung was Soonyoung and he wouldn’t have him any other way.

Jihoon didn’t know when or how it started or what made him develop feelings for Soonyoung and that was the magic of it—the proof of it. That love wasn't complex. It came when it did, in unexpected ways and forms sometimes.

Lee Jihoon was in love with a man whom he’d seen fall asleep sprawled on the floor more than his own bed, drool evident on the corner of his lips and his textbook almost slipping out of his grasp. He wore shirts that he’d deliberately cut the sleeves so he could boast to Jihoon about _dem guns_ whilst showing nothing but soft arms. He wore Spongebob boxer shorts and called it his favorite underwear. He was nothing like what the standards Jihoon thought of. He was him, he was Kwon Soonyoung. He wore the simplest things and came as he was and Jihoon was still head over heels for him.

There was no such thing as standards nor criteria’s. Kwon Soonyoung was enough, more than enough… and falling in love? It wasn’t that complex. Jihoon realized it wasn’t hard to _fall_ in love; that it was quite simple and that’s just what happened to him with Soonyoung.

Simple.

However Jihoon had another realization—that it was _falling in love_ that was simple. You jump, you fall and then that’s pretty much it. Everything would start from there and you’d do what it takes to make everything work out.

The hardest, probably most complex part was the feelings. It had to be mutual, it had to be reciprocated or it would just be reduced to nothing. You wear your heart on your sleeves, hope for the best… but sometimes the best wasn’t what always happened. Sometimes you watch as he nonchalantly stare at you fall to the big, black pit of your heart’s death and a disappointing thought crosses your mind:

_Why isn’t he falling, too?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't understand this chapter, too, and I apologize. I wanted it to be Jihoon explaining what love is for him but all in all it just sucked and became confusing (because I have no idea how to do it). HAHA sorry.  
> PS: all grammatical errors are of course, mine.


	4. Chapter 4

Jihoon kept his feelings to himself and continued being Soonyoung’s friend. Of course, how could he not? It wasn’t like it was Soonyoung’s fault and Jihoon wasn’t going stop being his friend just so he could get over his petty feelings for him.

The secret went on and on for another year and Jihoon never told a soul. Slowly, too, Jihoon got used to the feeling of an unrequited love and maybe, just maybe it was time for him to move on even though there really wasn’t anything to move on from.

Jihoon and Soonyoung both made other friends as time passed and they weren’t together 24/7 anymore and in Jihoon’s opinion, a lot has changed.

Long story short, they drifted apart. Soonyoung wasn’t around as much as he was and Jihoon tried his best to not pay attention to the empty bed on the other side of the room and went out on his own. They still talked but sometimes they had nothing to talk about anymore and if they did it was mostly Soonyoung talking about his other friends—one name Jihoon particularly heard most of the time was the name Seokmin and he thought the guy must be very special.

One night when some seniors (mainly Seungcheol and Jeonghan) decided to have a barbecue party to celebrate their last day of senior year, to celebrate all of them moving on with their lives and facing bigger responsibilities and being unemployed that Jihoon was reminded of how much he would miss being with Soonyoung. How much he’ll miss his smile and his early morning routine of waking Jihoon up in the most annoying ways possible. Jihoon suddenly felt something heavy on his chest and he quickly averted his eyes from watching Soonyoung happily munching on a barbecue he stole from their friend Seungcheol.

He’ll miss him so much—his mischievousness, his bad jokes, his lame puns, his dumb face… everything. He’ll miss everything. Jihoon sniffled a little and wiped a tear at the corner of his eyes that had been dangerously close to rolling down on his cheeks.

“Tell him.”

Jihoon almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the deep voice behind him.

“What?”

Wonwoo sighed and sat on the ground next to Jihoon, “Just tell him, Jihoon.”

“What are you—tell what to who?” Jihoon tried to sound as innocent as he could but Wonwoo wasn’t stupid and he was clearly having none of his denial bullshit.

“Don’t even try anymore, Jihoon. Seungkwan picked up on it the first time he met you and you think we, your friends, didn’t notice?”

Jihoon’s mouth was dry and at this point he had nothing to invalidate Wonwoo’s words, so he just sat there, head hanging down and shoulders slumped in defeat.

“But he’s my friend, Wonwoo…” Jihoon reasoned.

“Mingyu was my friend, too.” Wonwoo glanced at him and shrugged.

Jihoon took a deep breath, “But he likes you the way that you like him and it’s different with us.”

Wonwoo chuckled but not mockingly, “You don’t really know anything, do you?”

“What do you mean?” Jihoon lifted his head up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Wonwoo smiled at him and took a sip of his fruit punch before he spoke.

“Ever since the day he met you, all he talked about was you. Sure, we’re friends and all but Soonyoung never talked about me that way—like the sun shone out of my fucking ass and like I was the sole reason why the entire universe was made to be beautiful and shit—not that I ever want him to because that would be totally weird as fuck, but yeah. I think he’s liked you ever since, he just doesn’t know it because he’s a stupid idiot like you. So, please, just tell him.”

Jihoon contemplated all of this. Soonyoung talked about him like the sun shone out of his fucking ass and it was a good feeling, it brought a good feeling in his heart—but good feelings… good feelings weren’t going to save him from a heart break.

Jihoon shook his head, smiling sadly. “He talks about me like that?”

Wonwoo nodded firmly.

Jihoon chuckled bitterly and took a swig of the beer in his hands. “Funny how he talks about someone that way to me, too, Won.”

Wonwoo froze to where he was sat and his eyes glanced up to look at where Soonyoung was and he didn’t need to take a second look to know who Jihoon was talking about.

“It’s too late now, isn’t it? We’re all graduating and we’re all moving on, moving places, working and all and even if I did tell him, what would happen? Plus, I’m going back home to Busan, try and make a life there and help my family.” Jihoon shrugged, nonchalant.

Wonwoo closed his eyes and heaved a breath, “Have you decided on this?”

“No… not really. I was hoping I could talk to him about it but he’s… well, he was pretty occupied and I was, too…”

“Tell him,” Wonwoo advised even if he sounded stupid. “Just tell him. I don’t want you to regret anything. Just... fuck it, Jihoon.”

“I can’t…” Jihoon shook his head, looking at Soonyoung in the distance. The sight before him was probably the most painful thing he would ever remember in his college life.

Wonwoo sighed and wrapped an arm around him. “Jihoon…”

There were suddenly cheers and whistles from the crowd in the distance and Jihoon kept on staring and had intentionally ripped his heart into pieces. He swallowed the lump on his throat as the corners of his eyes stung and a bittersweet smile curved on his lips.

_How can I?_

“Congratulations, Lee Seokmin and Kwon Soonyoung! May you both live happily ever after and prosper as a couple! We’ve been rooting for you both since, y’know, you met, and it’s such a happy sight to know that you are now… official!” Seungcheol shouted and raised a beer bottle in the air to celebrate his friends and their relationship.

There were cheers from the small crowd again and if Wonwoo saw a tear roll down Jihoon's cheek, he didn’t mention it. He just lead his friend away from the house where they were free from all of… those. Free from all the pain… and Wonwoo silently wished it was the last sight Jihoon witnessed for the night, but he didn’t notice when his friend turned his head and watched as the love of his life kiss a man that wasn’t him.


	5. Chapter 5

“So, Busan?”

Their dorm room was eerily quiet and Soonyoung and Jihoon were both seated opposite each other. The distance that they used to cross with a few steps between their beds now had given them a feeling of being miles away from each other and it made Jihoon’s stomach drop because this wasn’t how he wanted to feel when he’d say good bye to Soonyoung. He’d imagined them in the middle of the room, hugging and both crying their eyes out, promising to text and mail each other when they have the time but never this—distant and cold.

“Yes, Busan.”

Soonyoung visibly took a deep breath and pursed his lips. “You... you made up your mind?”

Jihoon shrugged trying to be indifferent and trying to ignore the feeling that was eating him all up, “Since.”

Soonyoung nodded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, eyes directed at everything but Jihoon’s own. “Cool.”

“Yeah.”

There was a pause, and another silence had filled the room and it wasn’t this—it wasn’t like this before. Why was everything suddenly so awkward and quiet and wrong? Why does Jihoon feel like crying and running away and never seeing Soonyoung again when this was supposed to be their last day of being with each other and yet, there they were, being stupid and distant and this really wasn’t how it was supposed to be… They were best friends and they were supposed to be sad that they won’t be able to see each other for a very long time but no, Jihoon was sad for an entirely different reason. Why did Soonyoung feel so far away?

Soonyoung clasped his hands in front of him, tapping his feet on the wooden floor. “I’m… I’m just… I’m…” he heaved a breath and lifted his head up, looking at the ceiling and biting his lower lip.

“I don’t know what to say. I just—why? I know, I don’t have the right to ask because it’s your life but… why? I thought we were going to Seoul together, you know… I thought we’ll rent an apartment together and pay rent together and do things together… I mean, we’re best friends and all that shit and I’ve thought about that… since… since, Jihoon, _since_. I’ve thought about that since. I wanted you to have a life away from your shitty family, give you all the fresh air that you need and like let you live the life that you deserve… I just—I—I'm stupid. I’m sorry.”

Soonyoung buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. Jihoon’s heart hurt at the sight, at his words, at everything he just said. The untold promises and plans—to be honest, Jihoon thought of it, too – to be with Soonyoung but in an entirely different way, where they weren’t friends and where they were in love with each other. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what Soonyoung had in mind and Jihoon didn’t want to kill himself everyday looking at Soonyoung and knowing that he couldn’t have the chance to experience what he wanted with the man he stupidly fell in love with. He knew better.

“I can’t abandon my family, Soonyoung.”

“That’s not what I meant—“

“I can’t live a comfortable life and just leave them.”

“I know and that’s not it, Jihoon. I know you and I know you’re a good person and that’s not what I meant—God. I don’t—“ Soonyoung stood up from his bed and paced in front of Jihoon; he looked anything but calm, like something was nagging inside of him but he wasn’t sure if he should say it or not.

“What is it?” Jihoon questioned his friend who was still frantic.

Soonyoung stopped, “What’s what?”

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Soonyoung’s brows were knitted in irritation now but Jihoon wasn’t the least bit intimidated.

“Why are you so worked up about me moving to Busan? Why do you look and sound so upset that I didn’t talk to you about this? It’s not like I need to, you know.” The last one may not have been necessary but sometimes Jihoon’s brain-to-mouth filter didn’t work that well and he may have been really good at keeping his expression stoic but he was never good at hiding his emotions and everything had just been so much lately he was afraid he’d bottled it up for too long and that this was probably the time he chose to snap.

“I’m not upset, Jihoon. You’re imagining things.” Soonyoung countered, mouth set in a firm line. “If someone’s upset here I think it’s you.”

“Me?” Jihoon scoffed, standing up from his own bed and taking the few steps to reach Soonyoung and face him. “ _I’m_ upset?”

“You’re upset.”

“Fuck you, Kwon!”

“Well, guess what?! Fuck you, too!”

“Now you act like you know all about my feelings?” Jihoon retorted. “Well, guess what, you’re fucking right. I’m fucking upset! I don’t know what this is between us—this gap, the shit we do like we don’t give a fuck about each other anymore. It hurts and I don’t even know what we are anymore and I wanted to talk to you about moving to Busan but you were so busy with your life and I felt like I’ve lost a friend even when I gained some when you were gone. It felt so empty and you—you don’t even—I don’t even know about us anymore!”

Soonyoung quirked a brow and took a step forward unconcerned about the fact that he could feel Jihoon’s breath against his face, “Oh, so it’s my fault now? Guess what, Jihoon? I needed you, too! Don’t talk to me about being busy with my life when you were busy messing around with that Junhui guy! I have always needed you and—”

“What do you mean I’m messing with Junhui? What the fuck, Soonyoung? Don’t fuck with me! It’s not like you weren’t messing with Seokmin, too!”

“I see how you look at him and don’t even try to deny it—and fuck you, Seokmin is a friend and he was there when I was trying to get over you!”

_**What?** _

“What the fuck?! You fucking kissed him in the party!”

“I—” Soonyoung threw his hands in the air in frustration and slumped back down on his bed, burying his face in his hands. “I kissed him but it didn’t mean anything—we were drunk, he was messing with me and he wanted to make Joshua jealous and I wanted to make you jealous—and fuck! What the hell is happening?”

“What?” Jihoon’s mouth hung open, a dumbfounded look on his face. “What—you mean, you and Seokmin…?”

_**What?** _

Soonyoung let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumped, like all his energy just left his body. He looked up and stared into Jihoon’s eyes.

“We’re not what you think we are.”

_**Oh.** _

Jihoon couldn’t believe it. He just suddenly felt so stupid and relieved for some reason, like a weight he’d been carrying for a long time had been lifted off his chest. Soonyoung was… “You—what the fuck, Soonyoung?”

It took a moment for Soonyoung to compose himself and when he did, he glanced back up to Jihoon and this time he wasn’t afraid to look him directly in the eyes.

“Look, okay, I admit I am upset. I am _very_ upset that you’re leaving. I can’t stand the thought of being away from you because I can’t—I fucking can’t—I just can’t. I know it doesn’t make any sense but I want to be with you all the time. It’s weird and it’s clingy and sappy but fuck that, Jihoon, I want to be with you and I don’t care. I’ve built a life for us in the back of my mind and that’s what I’ve always wanted to happen—well, maybe it was a one sided thing because I’ve never asked you if that's what you want for yourself  but Jihoon, I’ve thought about it every night—living with you, being with you. I’m—“

“You like me.”

Jihoon blurted and there was no doubt inside his mind nor a waver in his voice. The realization just struck him and it was undisputable—Soonyoung said it all. Jihoon stared directly into his best friend’s eyes and he could see the latter cowering, his head hanging low as if it could hide what was written all over his face.

“What if I did?” Soonyoung retorted, a pout visible on his lips and his tone was suddenly all defensive. “It’s not like you can do anything about it, Jihoon. It's not like you can tell me to _not_ like you and make my feelings go away like magic... It’s not like I crossed a line or whatever—“the blond suddenly looked up, an alarmed expression on his face, “Did… did I, in any way, cross a line?”

“If your annoying wake up calls for the past four years can be counted as that then I guess you have…” Jihoon joked and it seemed to lighten the mood that had been chaotic and dangerous earlier. Soonyoung smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was a situation that they couldn’t avoid anymore. The unsaid had been said and Soonyoung had been dreading this day to come.

”I’m a fucking idiot, Jihoon, I know that and I’m sorry—I’m so sorry for accusing you of things and for making you feel like you’re a bad best friend… and I just cannot believe that I got carried away and confessed to you when I know you don’t even like me and shit and I just hope this doesn’t put a strain in our friendship… fuck…”

There was a long stretch of silence, with Jihoon just staring at Soonyoung who had never moved from his position of hiding his face in his hands.

“Why? Why did you not give me any sign, Soonyoung? Why did you avoid me?”

Soonyoung looked up with a little flinch when Jihoon suddenly broke the silence.  “For the reason that I do not want to make our friendship weird… and fuck, Jihoon, I had nothing on that Junhui guy. He’s dreamy and all, tall and very handsome and nice and I’m just—well, I’m just me… your chatterbox of a best friend, the one that annoys you to no end. What do I have compared to him?”

Jihoon sighed, the smile that curved on the corner of his lips suddenly turned into an uncontrollable fit of laughter that made Soonyoung look at him as if he was crazy.

“What?” Soonyoung asked and Jihoon had a hand on his belly from laughing too hard before paying attention to his best friend (should he still call him that?) again.

“I just realized how stupid we both are, Soonyoung.” Jihoon said, sitting up properly on his bed. “We’re both dense idiots and we’ve wasted so much time.”

Soonyoung tilted his head a little to the side, “What—I don’t understand.”

“I'm not in love with Junhui, I’ve never liked him in a… romantic way.”

Soonyoung nodded and suddenly did a double-take because what the hell? “Okay…”

“And there’s only one guy I’ve ever liked since I’ve stepped foot in this university.”

Soonyoung took a deep breath. Well, this was it. He’d always told himself that he was ready for the heartbreak and he always thought that he was but then he never was—no one was ever prepared for it even when you know it was coming. Although, he wouldn’t deny the fact that a little voice inside his head was hoping that it was him Jihoon meant. That he was the only guy Jihoon had liked since. But...

“T-Tell me—Is it all right if you tell me who… I mean, I won’t have anything against the guy. I mean, if you’d convince me that he’d treat you right then I guess I won’t hold any grudges.”

Jihoon stood up from his bed, crossing the small distance between him and Soonyoung and sat beside him. It didn’t feel that far away anymore. “Oh, believe me, you’ll love the guy because I do.”

Soonyoung felt his stomach drop. The guy was obviously a good guy and Jihoon might have met him when they were distant with each other and fuck, it hurt. “S-Sure.”

Jihoon scooted closer to Soonyoung, a new found confidence blossoming inside of him and he hooked his chin on Soonyoung shoulder before speaking. “He’s a great man, quite unsure and unconfident of himself when he really didn't have to feel that way because he’s good—really good, way too good for me. His smile is my everything, his arms is my home and he has a cartoon character designed boxer shorts—Spongebob to be specific. Oh, there was also Cars, I think it’s one of his favorite animated movies.”

Soonyoung sniffled, trying to swallow the lump in his throat and hoping to God that Jihoon didn’t notice. “Y-You’ve seen him naked?”

“Lots of times, yeah…” Jihoon nodded and tried not to laugh at the whole situation and how innocent Soonyoung had sounded asking him the question. If he was dense then Soonyoung was the epitome of it.

“Oh.”

“He’s also very enthusiastic—way over the top sometimes but that just made me love him even more. He once told me he couldn’t live without me but I ignored it because he may have just joked about it but he’s told me again today and God, was I an idiot to not believe him.”

“Oh… wow… that—“Soonyoung’s brows furrowed, he looked lost in thought but he shook his head a little and gestured for Jihoon to go on. God, could someone be denser than this idiot?

“He snores so fucking loud and if there was an Olympic sport to it, I know he’d be the first to represent.”

“Sounds like a dick.”

Jihoon nodded.

“Go on, Ji.”

“He seems like a really free-spirited person, you’d perceive him as someone who had nothing laid out in the future—“

“That’s harsh.”

“—but guess what?”

“What?”

“He’s planned a future for us in the back of his mind and he’s a fucking idiot because I’m talking to him right now and he couldn’t seem to get a thing—he’s handsome and is a good dancer but get this, he is a fucking dimwit.”

Soonyoung’s mouth flew open, eyes blown wide in utter shock and he pointed to himself automatically, “Me?!”

“Yeah, you, what the fuck do you expect?” Jihoon had landed a gentle punch in the middle of Soonyoung’s stomach and looked up at him. “Are you just acting innocent?”

“No… I…” Soonyoung shook his head frantically, trying to blink the tears that had inevitably formed in his eyes. “Who would think… you’d like me— I’m just me…“

“Don’t think anymore,” Jihoon faced him this time, resting a hand on top of Soonyoung’s own. “I’ve always liked you, Soonyoung. Heck, it might even be more than like with you.”

Soonyoung blinked. Every possible emotion had passed his face yet his eyes never left Jihoon’s own. He just stared, still couldn’t get his head around the fact that the person he had loved since loved him back. He couldn’t get over the fact that they were speaking of it, that they were talking about it, that they weren’t keeping it to each other anymore. Soonyoung loved Jihoon. Jihoon loved Soonyoung. A simple fact, yet it was enough to melt him and his heart to the ground.

“I love you.”

The words were not new to their ears but it was to their mouths. They’ve never expressed their affection explicitly; it always came in the form of ‘take care’, ‘have you eaten?’ and ‘sleep well’ and it was enough back then. Hearing it now—those three exact words that they chose not to say, conveyed only by their eyes and the comforting embraces in both the good and bad times— it felt completely different… Soonyoung’s heart had throbbed more than it did before and maybe…

“Can I kiss you?”

…just maybe it was what compelled him to lean in and press his and Jihoon’s mouths in a deep and chaste kiss; the overwhelming feeling of knowing and being told that you were loved was enough to push him to do a thing he’d always thought of before but never had the courage to.

Soonyoung pulled away, just enough that he could rest his forehead against Jihoon’s own, the tips of their lips brushing. It came out of Soonyoung’s mouth hushed, barely above a whisper, not even a soul had probably heard it but the corners of Jihoon’s mouth curve into a smile and that’s when he leaned in and captured Soonyoung’s lips with his own— slow and as passionate as the first.

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was very cliche, forgive me and the end is meh. I'm so sorry. :D

**Author's Note:**

> Please bare with me. I have no idea how this came to life or what I was thinking when I wrote this two years ago.


End file.
